Five Little Ducks

Today I introduced the nursery rhyme, "Five Little Ducks" to the twins.
I don't have the book but I didn't need it.  First we did it on flannelgraph, then we watched a version of it on YouTube.
When I used to do Five Little Ducks with my Kindergartners I always did it with my fingers.  When we sang, "Over the hills and far away," I would hide my hand behind my back then, "Four little ducks came waddling back" I tucked one finger back and showed four fingers.
So I thought, "How can I take this to the next level?"  I raided my felt stash and I had just enough yellow and orange to do what I had in mind.
I made five little duck finger puppets. and one large beak hand puppet to be the Mama Duck.  They were super simple to make, you don't need any real sewing skills.  You could actually glue it but I sewed mine so they would last longer.

Cut out a little duck shape from cardstock then trace it onto yellow felt.  I free handed the orange beaks.

I used a black magic marker and drew a dot for the eye and little feathers on the side.

Next I cut strips of yellow felt.  I measured it around finger to make a circle like a ring at the end of my finger. I sewed it together using yellow thread then sewed the ring to the middle of the back of the duck.  I also sewed the beaks on.

Like I said before I sing the song and hide my hand behind my back, then when I bring it back out with one finger folded under.  I had considered dropping the duck off my finger while behind my back but then I wouldn't have the ducks on my fingers to show back up at the end of the song.

Four Little Ducks

Three Little Ducks

You get the picture.

For the Mama Duck I folded the orange felt in half, then laid my four fingers on it and traced around them in a semi-oval shape. (I didn't trace my actual fingers)  I cut on the line and kept it folded in half.  Keeping this piece folded I unfolded the orange felt and laid this "semi-oval" piece onto the felt.  I traced around this shape making it about 1/4 inch larger around this time.  I cut this piece out and laid it on the top half of my doubled semi-oval.  I sewed all the way around.  because it was bigger it makes a pocket for your four fingers.  On the bottom part of the semi oval I made another ring for my thumb and sewed it to the bottom.  Now I can open and shut my beak while the mom says, "quack quack quack quack."

The girls were so excited to have another way to sing this nursery rhyme.  They wanted to do it themselves but the ducks will be too big for their tiny fingers.  I have a feeling I may be busy making some finger puppets for two little girls for their birthday!